The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-04-21
An English View of American
Character.

That submission to the will OF the
majority which is incalculated by dem
ocratic institutions has exercised a
marked influence upon the social no
less than upon the political life OF the
people OF the United States, save in
the late slave States. 1t has not only
had the result OF preventing the de-
velopment of individuality of char
acter. but likewise has considerably
modified that obstinacy of temper and
dogged tenacity of opinion which are
to be found in the Anglo Saxon race
The late Lord Beacons field on one
occasion said in the House of Com
mons that a gentleman who had spent
several years in America had declared
to him that it was his belief that "the
citizens OF the repu bile were the most
tractable people in the world, and the
readiest open to conviction by argu-
ment."
In the United States. the absence of
that segregation of thevarious grades OF
society which exist i'll Europe is evinc-
ed by the habits and manners OF the
masses in that country. If the na-
tional independence Of character be
occasionally pushed too far, and de-
generate into offensive self ssertion,
at least it prevents any approach to
servility. No inequality OF position
or circumstances will induce a native
OF any of the Northern States to sub.
nit to being dealt with in the manner
or spoken to in the tone which, in
England, the man in b1oadcloth too
frequently adopts, as a matter oi
course, toward the man in fustian.
The late Sydney Godolphin Osborne
used to relate how, once, a respectable
artisan said to him: "Ilike you, my
lord; there is nothing of the
gentleman about you" The meaning
of the speaker was undoubtedly that
Lord Osborne did not treat him in the
patronizing manner that members OF
the higher class usually address those
whom they regard as their social infe-
riors. Now, no one perhaps has a
keener appreciation OF the advantages
of wealth and education than the
American; but the possessor of them
should feel himself justified in using
towards the man who lacks these ad-
ventitious gifts the language of q SUI
perior to an inferior, is what he can
not understand, and which he will not
for one moment put up with. In fact.
the discourtesy, and even rudeness. o1
which some travellers in the United
States complain have arisen from the
fact of their failing to appreciate the
difference existing between the social
systems OF that country and their
own.
The wide gulf in culture which in
England separates the upper and
middle classes from the lower orders,
does no exist in America. This has
arisen from various causes. In the
first place, the great bulk OF the poe
pie of the Union are much better edu'
Gated than is as yet the case in this
country. The admirable system al
common or, as they are termed, "pub-
lie" schools which prevails in America
affords facilities for all children OBJ
tanning a sound English education
without the payment by their parents
OF any school fees, and at trifing
cost to the taxpayer in all sections OF
the Union, and especially in the West
where large grants have been made
OF the State lands in support of the pub
lie schools. In the second place, the
social status OF the working classes
who are natives of the United States
has been raised by the fact that the
Americans are almost exclusively en-
gagged in avocations demanding intel
ligence and skilled labor. This has
been owing to the circumstance that
upon the colored population and the
Irish and German immigrants have
devolved those coarse and irksome
occupations which have to be followed
by portion of the inhabitants OF 9TH
er countries. TO give one instance OF
this alone, it may be stated that rare
ly is native American citizen, man
or woman, found occupying the posi-
tion as domestic servant in any At
lantic cities.-Chambers' Journal.